Don't Guess At A Fix For Your Water Problems.

Just got back from consulting at a home. The water has petroleum products of some sort in it. Within the last year, a local water treatment company installed a system to deal with the problem. Here are the problems with the $10,000.00 system sold by a bunch of incompetents:

• The water treatment company NEVER tested the water to determine which petroleum products were in the water. They sniffed it and said "oh that smells like oil" and then proposed a $10,000.00 system.
• The BACKWASHING system that the treatment company installed empties the waste water outside the home 10 feet from the home owner's well and 50 feet from the neighbor's well, a potential contamination and recontamination issue.
• The system incorporates a chlorination system. Chlorine mixed with petroleum products can produce many strange and potentially carcinogenic compounds.

After 7 months, the customer decided that they were not confident in what they purchased, since they still smell oil in the water. That is why they called me. This is a home that was built in a 120 year old carriage house, and no one could ever know what has seeped into the well over the years without a thorough water test done by a LAB - not by some fool with a water softener sales test kit and his nose.

I took samples for testing at a state certified lab and will get back to the customer. One thing that will have to change is the discharge of contaminated water so close to the well and neighbor's well. This is a potential huge fine by the EPA if it were to be reported to them. I will keep you posted on the outcome.

Ted Mullen is a licensed water treatment expert. For advice, email questions to tedmullen@hotmail.com